It seemed as if the silence between her and Nolan went on forever but, eventually, he spoke.
‘You always look…’ Nolan scratched his neck. ‘It always seems that you are having a fabulous time at every ball. The way you smile lights up the room. I had no idea you were anything other than absolutely happy to be at each function you attend.’
‘Well, it would be bad manners to appear otherwise.’
He smiled faintly. ‘You are right. It would.’ He took a deep breath. ‘Thank you for both your apology and for your explanation.’
‘Excellent,’ she said briskly, glad it was done and even gladder it was over. ‘The perfect item for Adam’s waistcoat is the most decadent flower I have ever seen. Let us find it.’ She marched past him, determined to get this damned scavenger hunt over quickly so she could return to her bedroom and die a thousand deaths over her mangled apology.
‘Ha,’ she cried. ‘I have found it. Oh drat.’
‘What is it?’ Nolan asked, coming up behind her.
‘It is too difficult to reach.’ To get to it she would need to climb up onto a table and reach over to the one behind. Even she was not such a hellion as to behave in such a manner in front of a Duke.
He shot her an amused glance and her heart skipped a beat. ‘I can get to it. Here, hold this.’ He handed over her bonnet, the one she had forgotten he was holding. ‘This flower?’ he asked, pointing to the ornate petals.
‘Yes. It is very dashing. Would you not agree?’
He leaned over, his long fingers curling around the stem of the flower. ‘It seems a shame to take this,’ he murmured. ‘And the stem’s thicker than it looks.’ His fingers snapped the stalk with a loud crack.
‘Hey,’ called a deep voice. ‘What do you think you are doing?’
‘Oh dear.’
Nolan wiped a hand over his brow, smudging mud across his forehead. ‘What is the problem?’
Ash’s gardener was very particular over his flowers. She’d faced his wrath before and didn’t want to experience it again. ‘We need to leave.’
Nolan’s eyes were wide, but he did not appear to be grasping the seriousness of the situation.
‘We need to make a hasty exit.’
When he still didn’t move, Sienna slipped her fingers through his and tugged on his hand. ‘Run!’
Still clutching her bonnet, she grabbed the material of her dress in the same hand and lifted it so as not to trip on the hem. With her other hand still clutching Nolan’s, she half-ran, half-dragged him after her. When it was time to stop running, she didn’t let go.
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